


Secret joy

by Rogercat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anglo-Saxon times, F/M, Family Secrets, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Grandparents & Grandchildren, Hogwarts Founders Era, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Muggles, Parenthood, Squibs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 01:44:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20283352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogercat/pseuds/Rogercat
Summary: Salazar have a secret that not even the other Founders know about





	Secret joy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Isilarma](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isilarma/gifts).

Year 1013 AD, Scotland: 

Salazar liked to teach at Hogwarts, but despite it being the second week in September, something else was on his mind today. 

“At least my grandson is in detention for breaking against the rule of not sneaking around at night…”

One would think that Salazar should be proud of his grandson so far, who was in his third year at Hogwarts, but in reality they were pretty distant. He had never been close to Sunniva, the daughter who had married into the Gaunt family, and while he had felt honest grief over her death in childbirth at giving life to her only child, a small part of him had actually been grateful for that she was gone. 

“Are you thinking of that you could have had more grandchildren, had Rinc not gotten himself killed in that duel?”

Salazar glaced at Godric, feeling his mood not being good right now.

“My son allowed his pride guide his life and he paid for it. He should not have gotten involved with another girl when he actually was set for marriage soon after graduation, and he arrogantly thought that his family name was enough to make the other wizard back off.”

Oh the shame of finding out that his promised daughter-in-law had been dishonored by his son being seen with another, and the fear of that Rinc might have gotten the other girl with child. Thankfully it had never went to that point, but Salazar had faced the reality of that he likely was fated to be the last male of the Slytherin name alive. 

He was already a widower since many years ago when his dear Cearo had died of illness, and she had struggled to give him more than the children she had birthed. Although offers from families with young, unmarried daughters had came, Salazar did not want to marry again, he felt as if he would betray Cearo for more than one reason if he wed another woman to have more heirs. 

“I will be away for a few days, I need some time alone.”

“What?! But what about your lessons? You can not just leave…” 

Godric tried to follow after him. 

“The Seventh years are skilled enough to take over my lessons for a couple of days. And I will be careful.”

Salazar was gone before Godric could do anything.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The stud farm was one of the biggest landowners in the village, which laid not far from the river Medway, and for a good reason. The Leod family was horse breeders, and needed land to ensure that their mares and foals could run around freely in the pastures. 

A good number of siblings in various ages was playing or being busy with tasks, when they saw a lone figure come closer. 

“Grandfather! Mother, it is grandfather Salazar!” the oldest son, eleven-year-old Ælfwine, called to get the attention of his parents, the other siblings rushing to find one of the parents. 

“Stop screaming as if there is a new Viking ship arriving along the river, none of us is deaf!” a young female voice called from the large hut, followed by a broom chasing out his four-year-old brother Richard and even the seven-year-old twins Hildegard and Godiva when their oldest sister had called for their help earlier. 

“But Sally, it is ** _grandfather!_ **”

“Brother, mother needs to rest after giving birth last week, so shoo!” 

Salazar shaked fondly on his head at hearing the loud disagreement between his two oldest grandchildren. No doubt that his grandchildren would be all over him in a giant hug soon once he came closer. 

“Grandpaaaaaaaaa!” 

Richard, Hildegard and Godiva was the first ones to meet him, with Ælfwine joining his siblings in the big hug when he came out again. Now a girl no older than fourteen at the most had seen him, and came over with the now second youngest sibling, two-year-old Leofwine, resting on his hip just as her mother had taught her. 

“Welcome, grandfather. Mother is resting indoors with our newest sisters.”

Salazar smiled at his granddaughter, who was the one to most show the hints of becoming a strong-willed woman as a adult. 

“Twin girls again? Well, your father Beorn have no trouble with giving your mother healthy children, at least!”

  


Inside the hut, Salazar found the only one of his three children to be alive, the oldest one but sadly also the one who would have faced ill treatment from the magical families if they had known why only Salazar's twin children was shown off as the children Cearo had birthed to him.

His firstborn, who had the misfortune of being born as a Squib. 

“Father,” Qwen Leod neé Slytherin greeted from the bed, “are you here to meet Ingeborg and Matilda?” 

“As if I would stay away at the news of their arrival.”

He held up a old family heirdom, a magical stone that would shine with a blue light if any of the week-old girls in the cradle had any hints of magic, and held it above his newest grandchildren. 

It remained dull. 

“Muggles just like their father,” Salazar confirmed, and he did not not miss how Qwen relaxed at the words. Had she been haunted by that old fear again? That one of her children would inherit the magic she would never have and slowly lose their ties to the Muggle world?

“Qwen. Look at me.”

It was not a command, but a request. 

“Did the nightmares of your childhood haunt you again? Of Rinc and Sunniva using you as target for their spells?”

She nodded, the green eyes shining with unspoken emotion, as well instinctively trying to cover her arms, where faint scars was still present as eventual reminders of a sibling cruelty she feared to happen between her own children. 

“I know that Hogwarts are meant to be a safe place for magical children no matter which social status or background, but...I ** _hate_ ** the thought of losing one of my three sons and five daughters to your world, father, I fear to see one of them possibly turn out like ** _them_ **…!” 

She never mentioned her deceased twin siblings by name, for the memories of them were too great at times. Even now, when she had been married for fourteen years and a happy mother of eight children in a marriage to a Muggle husband who truly cared for her, Qwen was still haunted by her past. 

“And that is exactly why we did agree on that you would be safer in the Muggle world, married to a husband without magic and living the rest of your life among them. To ensure that no one will come after your family, if there was simple whisper of that I had more grandchildren than the boy Sunniva gave birth to.”

Qwen had never spoken a word about magic or her actual lineage to her husband or children, fearing for how that could destroy her relationship with them. At the age of 33, Qwen was only a few years away from being twice the age as Sunniva and Rinc had lived. Yet despite being born without magic, it seemed as if she instead had been blessed with fertility, given the number of children she had birthed and yet none of them had died yet. Perhaps that was God's attempt of making up for her suffering in childhood.

“Qwen, I hear that we have a visitor!”

She brightened up at once at the sound of her husband from outside the door. He must have come back from the stables at his children telling him that their maternal grandfather had arrived for a visit. 

“I will stay for a while so you can enjoy the sight of me with my grandchildren,” Salazar promised. 

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Even at the young age of 13, Sally was proving herself very mature for her age. Then again, as the oldest sibling it was not that strange. 

“I hope to find a nice merchant as husband, grandfather, so he can help father in business and hopefully be useful in charity too.”

Marriage was a important role in the lives of everyone, despite that some joined a monastery or a convent.”

“That is a good goal in your life as a adult, Sally, to help your family and those of lesser fortune.” 

Salazar was not sure if he would live long enough to see his great-grandchildren, but he hoped to be alive a few more years so he could see the daughters and sons of the new generation grow into adulthood at least. 

  


**Author's Note:**

> Qwen is my idea to explain where Lily Evans got her magic from, and possibly which family it originally came from
> 
> Rinc, Sunniva and Cearo is real Anglo-Saxon names, which I uses for Salazar's family in my own stories. Rinc and Sunniva was twins, but not exactly kind against Qwen for her being a Squib and their mother Cearo was of weak health from childhood. Cearo died a few months before Hogwarts welcomed its first students
> 
> Sunniva is where the Gaunt family got their connection to Salazar from, birthing a son that was his offically only known grandson because Salazar and Cearo hid Qwen away from the magical world in fear of how she would be treated as a "shame for the family name" due to being born without magic 
> 
> Qwen's oldest daughter Sally is the ancestor in a maternal line to Lily and Petunia Evans


End file.
